The Volvo XC40 Electric will be unveiled on October 16

With the presentation of the Volvo XC40 Electric on October 16, the Swedish brand will, for the first time, enter the world of zero-emission cars. This has posed quite a few challenges for the Swedish carmaker, with safety being one of the biggest. However, true to the Volvo style, they say no compromises have been made on that front.

“Regardless of what propels a car forward, whether it is an electric motor or a combustion engine, a Volvo must be safe. The Volvo XC40 fully electric will be one of the safest cars we have ever built,” said the company’s head of safety, Malin Ekholm. “The safety fundamentals are the same for this car as for any other Volvo. People are inside, and the car must be designed to be safe for them.”

In the event of an accident, the occupants will be protected by the new safety structure developed by Volvo. The battery’s placement in the floor, surrounded by a safety cage that creates a built-in crumple zone around it, will ensure it remains intact. In addition, the carmaker has also integrated the electric drivetrain into the body structure at the rear, as this provides better distribution of collision forces away from the passenger compartment.

The Volvo XC40 Electric will also feature autonomous technology thanks to a new technology called Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Developed by Zenuity, a joint venture owned by Volvo and Veoneer, ADAS is a scalable active safety system that includes several radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors.

The first electric Volvo arrives: this is the XC40 EV

Volvo will release more details and teaser images of the XC40 Electric in the coming weeks, ahead of its major unveiling scheduled for October 16. Building on the excellent safety standards of the original XC40, Volvo’s safety engineers had to completely redesign and reinforce the front structure to deal with the absence of an engine, meet Volvo’s high safety requirements and help keep occupants as safe as in any other Volvo.

To help keep passengers safe and the battery intact in the event of a collision, the carmaker has also developed a new and unique safety structure for the occupants and the battery in the XC40. The battery is protected by a safety cage consisting of an extruded aluminium frame, embedded in the middle of the car’s body structure, creating a built-in crumple zone around the battery.

Placing the battery in the floor of the car also has the benefit of lowering the car’s centre of gravity, for better protection against rollovers. Meanwhile, the car’s body structure has been reinforced not only at the front but also at the rear. Here, the electric drivetrain has been integrated into the body structure to achieve better distribution of collision forces away from the cabin and reduce the strain on the people inside the car.

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverVolvo XC4011 versions · from 42,800 €